The Sprout

Floods from North Hinksey Lane

The newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley

Issue 145 March 2020

The Sprout

Issue 145, March 2020

Contents

3 Seacourt Hall Gala Opening

7 What’s the link… ?

9 Dean Court Coder Dojo

11 Flood scheme delayed

13 Community fridges take off

17 Botley Medical Centre

21 CA needs you

23 Sally goes solar

25 Pimp your patch

29 Women’s cycling club

31 Calling new Brownies

33 Bemused by the bin?

35 M Harris meets T Mallett

37 Planning Apps

39 Randoms

43 Local organizations

From the Editor

March is here, and with it the floods. Our cover shows James Mayo’s

photo of the inland sea visible from North Hinksey Lane (likely to defer

the Big Clean Up of the Seacourt Nature Reserve). The Gala Opening of

the new Seacourt Hall was a great success (p3), now all they need is a

new manager and new treasurer. Could it be you? Moving quickly on we

have the rise and rise of the Community Fridge (p13), the much enjoyed

Isis cycling club (p29), and an account of her new battery-reinforced array

from a satisfied solar panel owner (p23), while the kids’ computer coding

club at Dean Court is proving popular (p9). The campaign to rein in the

Flood Scheme is using the delay caused by the need to repair the railway

bridge to press for a rethink (p11), and on page 25, Linda Losito calls on

those of us who park in our front gardens to redesign them for wildlife,

and Martin Harris welcomes the chance to meet a famous figure from his

youth (p35). Lots going on in Botley, as per usual then. Happy reading!

Ag MacKeith

Gala Opening for new Seacourt Hall

Were you among the

hundreds of people

who came along to

see what Mace had

come up with in our

new Community

Hub? Did you, like

me, go up the stairs

to the new library,

light, spacious and

inviting, but

disconcertingly

devoid of books!

(Back on the shelves

now, though!) Did you go on up to the roof and step out to see if you

could see your house?

And, coming back down, did you plunge into the buzzing scene in the

new Seacourt Hall, to find performances by the Betty Bloom dancers,

from our local Morris Cry Havoc, and modern jive and Zumba displays?

Not to mention the beautiful singing of Oxford Harmony and the Baby

Sensory demo. Just as well the Lunch Club were on hand to refresh us

with quantities of teas and coffees, and Botley W.I., with their delicious

cakes. Branches cafe were there, too, dispensing Nachos at lunch time.

There seemed to be dozens of stalls. The ones I visited were Friends of

Raleigh Park, who have made a huge difference to our valley nature

reserve, with guided walks, adventure days, family fun and energetic

work parties, as detailed in last November’s Sprout. Then I had a long

discussion with PCSO Rich Osborn on the local police stall. Botley

seemed in danger of losing its status as a Low Crime Area, I said. Did

he really think – as hinted in a local chat room – that there was a

connection between the travellers’ descent on Cumnor Parish and the

sudden spate of burglaries round here. Absolutely not, he replied. The

burglaries were part of a wider pattern, which stretched along the A34

and part of the M40. A criminal gang, efficient and competent, was

carrying out the raids, looking for valuable jewellery, which could be

slipped into a pocket, unlike a TV or laptop. This might also explain why

Asian households were often the target, as they favour gold jewellery.

Botley Bridges had a stall, but I missed the chance to find out if it was

true that they were being turfed out of their home at Botley School for

reasons of space. This does seem to be the case, and is a crying

shame. Those of us who had children at Elms Road Nursery know the

space they inhabit was designed for nursery-aged children, and was

directly modelled on that very popular nursery when it was closed and

the land sold off to build Nursery Close. If you want to know what it

looked like, there’s a children’s picture book by Sarah Garland called

‘Going to Playschool’ which uses the nursery as its setting. We will be

following up the plans for our precious Under-fives centre in a future

Sprout.

Seacourt Hall Management Committee were on hand to answer

questions and invite us to choose the best logo to flag up their publicity.

More new activities and classes are planned. You can see what's on

and book your own event at the Seacourt Hall website:

www.seacourthall.org.uk/ All in all, it was a very lively and successful

occasion. Congratulations to al those involved in organizing it. The

photo shows their smiling faces, flanking our MP Layla Moran and some

of our local councillors. The next big event there is ‘Leap into Action,

Botley’s Big Green Day on 29th Feb.

It has come to our notice that Eric Batts, hall manager for many years,

has resigned and a new one is sought. Could this be you? Advert below.

Ag MacKeith

Seacourt Hall needs a Hall Keeper

15 Hours a week. £7963.80 (£10.21 per hour)

4 weeks annual holiday & workplace pension contribu$on.

Located in Botley’s West Way centre, the hall keeper is responsible for

the day-to-day running and maintenance of Seacourt Hall, for assisting

users, for Health and Safety, Fire and equipment testing, and managing

hall bookings via an online booking system, email and telephone. The

role will suit an active individual with experience of dealing with the

public and administrative tasks, including reports for the Committee.

There will be some evening work and weekends as necessary. A laptop

and mobile phone will be supplied.

Closing Date: 6th March Apply by email: seacourt.hall@gmail.com

Full job descrip$on online: www.seacourthall.org.uk/

What’s the link between organ donation, film-making

and Hadrian’s Wall?

Can’t guess? All three are the subject of dozens of free online short

courses run by FutureLearn (www.futurelearn.com). Courses last

between two and eight weeks, and involve between two and five hours

of study per week.

The courses are a combination of reading, videos, exercises and

discussion with other learners. They can be accessed at any time, as

there are no formal ‘classes’. I find the discussions the most interesting,

as people from around the world often have unexpected insights and

opinions. I’m currently taking a management course, and finding out

what works in different countries is a real eye-opener.

Other courses that I’ve done: how to write a poem, how to create great

online content, a history of royal food, modern building design, and the

science of nutrition. It’s possible to pay to get a certificate for ‘attending’

the course, and some courses build on each other so that they start

forming the equivalent of a proper university course. But I just use the

free version to gain new insights. I can really recommend them… and

I’m not even employed by FutureLearn. Riki Therivel

Dean Court Coder Dojo

A few months ago we appealed for volunteers

to help set up and run a Coder Dojo (coding

club) for girls and boys aged 7 to 17 at Dean

Court Community Centre. Well, we were lucky

enough to assemble a crack team of technical

bods and our first session took place in

January. Ten budding coders (some of them

already pretty fully-fledged!) joined James,

Peter, Nathan and Kim for 90 minutes of

computing fun.

James writes:

“The coders explored the Scratch programming environment, which has

been designed as a first stage for children learning programming.

Blocks are moved on screen from a library to create a visual code,

which then runs on a stage on the same screen. Several of the coders

programmed a band which moved around on screen and played music.

Singing unicorns also made an appearance (obviously), and ghosts. As

the code is created, the changes can be seen and heard, until the

project is finished. The sounds can

be changed, as can the images

used on stage, and all made to

work as desired by the program.

The coders quickly understood

what it was all about! Other coders

uses a text-based programming

language called Python.”

The Dojo is at present fully

subsidised by DCCA and we’re

always keen to welcome more

volunteers on board, no need to

commit to every session. We’re

aiming to meet once a month for 90

minutes, so if you think you could

bring something to the techie table,

get in touch with me on

rachael.deancourtcc@gmail.com

Rachael Monks, Centre Manager

Flood Scheme – a chance to rethink?

HOEG (Hinksey and Osney Environment Group) met on 6th February

2020 to consider progress on the Flood Alleviation Scheme.

In early January 2020 the Environment Agency (EA) notified landowners

and tenants previously served with OFAS Compulsory Purchase Orders

that the Scheme is currently being delayed. This is because there needs

to be a new bridge on the bypass at the end of the Abingdon Road. This

will affect the new flood alleviation plan because the new bridge will

improve water flows. The lead time is likely to be more than two years.

HOEG strongly supports the need to address West and South Oxford

flooding concerns. Members think that this planning delay creates an

excellent opportunity to improve OFAS further, especially to understand

better its immediate and mid-term climate impact both in terms of

carbon capture and local air pollution, the economic challenges to the

Botley Road during construction, and new opportunities to reduce

substantially OFAS’ original £150million-plus budget. Members of

HOEG will be forwarding fully worked and costed alternative solutions to

the appropriate authorities.

Though the effects of even-slightly-above-average rainfall bursts are

increasing annually because waterways are silting up and routine

maintenance has ended, new technology operating sluice gates above

Oxford appears to work well and to limit flooding. At the request of

HOEG, the EA is enhancing the hydrological assumptions used in

modelling the proposed flood channel. Upgrading the quality of data for

this flood modelling for such a major investment benefits all

stakeholders.

The current OFAS plan requires excavation of historic meadows west of

Oxford, removing the substantial carbon capture provided by existing

1,000 year old grassland and established trees. The planned wide

channel will make relatively little difference to the 1300 (not 4500)

properties at risk of flooding but will add major air pollution impact due

to construction activities and diesel lorry movement of local gravel from

the meadows to off-site locations. The carbon, nitrogen and particulate

air pollution impacts of the Scheme’s first 5–20 years were not fully

evaluated in OFAS’ initial proposal documents. For more visit:

https://hinkseyandosney.org/

Chris Sugden (Convenor) with others for HOEG

Community fridges take off!

The Botley community fridge (St. P&P

Church, 81 West Way OX2 9JY) will

be three years old in mid March, and

what an influence it has had!

In just the last year, the fridge has

stopped at least 7 tonnes of perfectly

good food from being wasted,

providing the equivalent of more than

16,000 meals. A team of brilliant

volunteers picks up the food from four

supermarkets five days per week, and

comes in every day to make sure that

the fridge is clean. Several food

banks donate non-perishables (pasta,

tins etc.) which go on shelving next to

the fridge, and which are particularly

for people in need. Anyone can use

the fridge, so do please visit it, put in your surplus food and take food

from it.

But the fridge’s influence goes beyond Botley. Inspired by our fridge,

the Leys community fridge opened at the Blackbird Leys community

centre 15 months ago. It also has a team of volunteers who pick up and

deliver food, coordinated by Lucy Kozumplikova who lives in Botley.

Because the Leys fridge wasn’t

getting enough food for the

demand, we contacted FareShare,

who pick up surplus food from

wholesalers around the country,

bring it back to regional depots

(ours is in Didcot), and then

redistribute it. Unlike the Oxford

Food Bank who do this for free but

who won’t deliver to ‘open access’

charities (where the food might go

to people who are not ‘in need’),

FareShare charges for the

transport, processing and warehousing of the food. The Didcot depot is

run by a fantastic organisation called Sofea, which takes young people

who struggle in school, gives them literacy/numeracy classes in the

morning, and teaches them warehouse skills in the afternoon.

FareShare/Sofea suggested that, rather than buying food from them, we

should set up a Leys community larder, and that is what we have done.

The larder is a food club. People become members for £2 a week direct

debit, and for that they receive access to a café, a children’s play area,

several events per year (we had a big Christmas party and are planning

a summer barbecue), plus ten items of non-perishable food per week,

plus free fruit and vegetables. FareShare isn’t allowed to sell the food

because it is classed as ‘waste’, but having a club which happens to

provide lots of free food gets around this. For their £2 per week,

members leave with a HUGE bag of food.

Some of the food is weird and wonderful: cactus water, seaweed crisps,

cheese-flavoured

popcorn. But every

week there is also

bread, pasta, cereal,

tins of beans and other

basics that will get

people through the

week. The larder

opened in early October

2019 and already has

more than 90 members.

Anyone within a 15-

minute travel time can

join, and if there’s not much traffic on the ring road, the fridge is just

about accessible in that time to someone who lives in Botley. Do go if

you’re interested. Anyone can join – you don’t need to be on benefits.

It’s at the Blackbird Leys community centre every Wednesday, 3 to 5pm.

Coming back to community fridges, two years ago the Botley fridge

hosted a national meeting of community fridge co-ordinators. By now,

so many community fridges have been set up around the country that

we will soon be hosting a meeting of just the Oxfordshire community

fridges. These are located in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Botley,

Jericho, Leys, Wallingford, Wantage and Witney.

Riki Therivel

Report on Botley Medical Centre

Patients of the Botley Medical Centre were concerned to read the

Oxford Mail report of 16th January which carried the headline “GP

Practice has improved but work needed, says Watchdog”.

The Patients Participation Group at its meeting on January 29th

discussed this report of the Care Quality Commission’s findings with the

Manager of the Practice, Caroline Jones.

The finding in question centred around one issue: the lack of high-risk

medicine audits. Because these span both Safe and Well-led headings

within the CQC reporting structure, the impression given of the report is

worse than it actually was. In all other aspects the Centre achieved a

‘good’ rating. This one area of difficulty fell into two headings and so

resulted in the final verdict.

In actual fact the inspectors had used a temporary search which had

been set up for other reasons, and was not the search the Practice uses

to identify high risk drug users. Unfortunately, both managers in the

practice happened to be on leave immediately after the inspection, so it

was not possible to get the correct search results to the inspectors

within their time frame. When the correct search criteria were used, they

showed that all monthly audits had been carried out. The procedure for

accessing the correct search criteria has since been amended to make

it less likely for anyone to use the wrong ones in the future.

Shared Care

The issue with the high-risk drugs was that some patients who attended

hospital appointments believed that they did not need to go to the health

centre for their blood tests, thinking that all would be dealt with in the

hospital. Such patients seemed to be unaware of ‘shared care’. Under

this protocol, the administration of drugs/medicines started at hospital

was then devolved to the surgery. If a patient missed a blood test at the

surgery, the doctor had to do a risk assessment to decide if it was safer

to give the medication without the blood test being done or not.

The shared care agreement with the hospital has now been amended

so that if patients did not come for the required blood test at the surgery,

they would be asked to return to the hospital for their tests and

treatment. The PPG was assured that an action plan has been created

to respond to the issue raised by the CQC and Oxford Mail.

Chris Sugden

And here are some tips from the PPG on

How to get the most out of your GP appointment

As the doctor’s time is precious here are a few tips that may help you

get the most from the time you have with them. Some may seem

obvious but together they’ll help get the best from your visit.

Be on time We are all aware that often the doctor runs late through no

fault of their own BUT if they are running on time, don’t waste yours.

Once in the room Don’t get too comfy and then waste valuable time

taking off layers that are not necessary.

If at all possible, leave your children at home (unless it is they who

are unwell). Easier said than done but…. Often children distract you

and the doctor from asking the relevant questions.

Don’t bring a list! It is unrealistic to expect a doctor to deal with more

than one problem. The average appointment is only 10 minutes and it’s

better to deal with one problem in depth than several superficially.

Tell your story chronologically Try and remember when symptoms

started and how they developed. Give as much detail as you can.

Be as accurate as possible. Give accurate timings: the dates or the

month or week symptoms started, not ‘a while ago’, Or ‘not very long’.

Try not to be embarrassed The doctor has probably heard it before, or

something very like it.

Understand how the consultation works

* Tell your story

* The doctor will ask you questions about what you have told them

* The doctor may examine you if they feel it necessary

* Your doctor will tell you what they think may be going on and suggest

treatment or plan options

* You ask questions about the plan

Get the important issue out first. Often people will talk about smaller

concerns rather than the important one such as ‘I think I have a lump’.

The internet is useful but… doctors have a wealth of knowledge, so

trust their skills.

Finally be kind. Doctors are trying their best to help you – that’s

the reason they came into the profession!

Citizens Advice in South and Vale needs help with:

* Reception duties in Abingdon, Henley and Thame

* Advisers in Abingdon and Didcot

* Head office administration in Abingdon

* IT support in Didcot and Thame

* Fundraising, communications and website designers (any location)

We are a local charity providing free, confidential advice. Last year, our

150 skilled advisers helped over 11,000 local people from advice

centres in Abingdon, Didcot, Faringdon, Henley, Thame and Wallingford.

Many people who come to us face difficult and sometimes frightening

problems that threaten to overwhelm them. In 2019 we were able to

help three quarters of all the people who contacted us. For volunteers,

we offer a welcoming office environment and an opportunity to gain new

skills, meet new people and make a real and valued contribution to your

local community. You choose when you volunteer. We normally ask for

two half days a week but can be flexible. If you are interested, please go

to: www. citizensadvice.org.uk/local/oxfordshire-south-vale/volunteer

Or, if you would like to discuss these volunteering roles, please email

Jon Bright, Director at jon.bright@osavcab.org.uk

How Solar Panels are Working for Me

Are you thinking of installing solar panels? Well make sure you add in a

battery! Which? has lots of good advice, and was a good place to start.

The first company I called gave me the sales talk, and then pressured me

to sign a contract before they would send out a surveyor. They also applied

financial inducements to make me choose them. Luckily I was able to back

out in time. Meanwhile I had contacted another company (Project Solar)

that I eventually went ahead with. The experience here was very different:

there was no pressure and the emphasis was on giving me all the technical

data I needed.

I’ve gone on about this at some length because it illustrates how vitally

important it is to get more than one quote, and to resist heavy sales

pressure. Be clear about what you want, and then make sure that any

proposal offered to you can deliver it.

The thing I really liked about Project Solar was their partnership with Social

Energy, which is an unusual kind of energy supplier. The power generated

by solar can peak when you least need it, but you can sell this back to the

grid. The energy companies don’t pay much for it, though – at most one

third of what you pay for energy from them, and often much less. If you

have a battery you can store energy there, for use later. This can save you

a lot, but it is limited by the capacity of your battery. Social Energy go a step

further: via a hub they install in your house, they trade the energy in your

battery with the grid (in both directions), buying it cheaply on your behalf,

and selling it back when the price is higher. You need do nothing, the

software takes care of it all. This (they claim) can give you a big pay-back,

allowing you to cover the additional cost of the battery in a shorter time.

I cannot verify this myself yet. We’ve only had our panels for a month so

far, and it takes three months to get onto the system. However, the benefits

of the battery are already very evident. We have already halved our grid

consumption (and hence our bill), and it’s only February! To be fair, a lot of

this saving is down to our increased awareness of how we were wasting

energy in a big way, but that’s another story.

Our 18-panel installation plus battery, inclusive of taxes, installation and

warranty, cost £15,300 and took less than two days. To put this into

perspective, it is about the cost of a kitchen makeover. Our roof faces east

and west, so we have panels on both sides. This is not ideal – a south

facing roof works best. Even so, our panels really do perform even on

cloudy days, as we can attest from our monitoring during February.

Sally Prime

Pimp your Patch

Oxfordshire is a crowded space, and likely to get a lot more crowded in

the near future if the projected million houses along the Expressway are

built. More houses will mean even less space for wildlife to occupy. So

the numbers of birds, mammals and insects will continue to plummet

across the region. Is there anything we can do to help them?

The numbers of cars are increasing but the street space to park them is

diminishing. Young adults are staying at home with their parents for

longer because mortgages are out of their reach. Many have cars, so

the available space shrinks even further. Householders, increasingly

desperate to secure a parking place, are paving over their front

gardens. This is perfectly understandable, but creates a number of

problems, some of which are soluble.

One problem is porosity. Any new surface laid should allow water to

drain through it, but many do not. The soil under the surface can dry

out causing clay to shrink, with consequent damage to the house

foundations. A layer of shingle will give the best permeability and is

likely to be the cheapest to install. Tarmac and concrete are probably

the least permeable surfaces but can have holes for drainage put in. If

water stays on the surface, it may run off onto the pavement making

problems for pedestrians, especially in icy weather, and pushing more

water into the overloaded street drains.

Another is the loss of green space. Each front garden may be small,

but the cumulative loss to the local area is huge. There are many faces

to this loss. People used to be proud of their front gardens and

competed in an annual competition run by the Parish Council. They

would spend a lot of time creating colourful displays and weeding: time

spent chatting to passing neighbours. ‘Socialising-through-gardening’ is

extremely important for keeping less mobile elderly people in the social

loop, making them less likely to become isolated and depressed. And,

as any estate agent will tell you, it is easier to sell a house with a pretty

flower-filled garden next door than one which is filled with rusting old

jalopies. It seems to appeal to that very British desire to live in a

thatched cottage with roses growing around the door. It’s just nice.So

how can we reconcile this need for parking spaces with our love of

gardens? Have both of course! Pimp your patch. If you are making a

new space, with just a little planning you should be able to create a

porous surface surrounded by flowers. Or if you have an existing hard

surface, jazz it up

around the edges.

Surround it with flower-

filled pots or planters to

give it that extra buzz.

The bees will love it if

you use open, pollen-

bearing flowers.

Alternatively, dig it up

around the edges and

put in some colourful

shrubs. This is what

one of my neighbours

has done, and it is a

pleasure to look at

throughout the year. When she moved in, there was just plain gravel.

Useful but boring. She yearned for something that was easier on the eye,

and slowly re-shaped it to her needs. Now, around the functional parking

space is a thing of beauty. Under the front window is a cotoneaster heaving

with bees in the spring and bright with red berries in the winter. A clematis

with large blue flowers scrambles across it in the summer. Green and gold

ivy covers the brick walls, with a golden shrub, Lonicera nitida adding extra

colour. Around the edges, scented lavender bushes and the violet-blue

flowered Symphyandra (bellflowers) are very happy in this dry, almost

Mediterranean, sunny spot. All of them are hardy and low maintenance.

Around the corner, other neighbours have created a tiny green oasis

alongside the parking spot. The eye-catching front wall is covered with a

mosaic of pretty blue tiles. Just behind it is a pond and a spread of lovely

seasonal flowers, and a bird feeder which brings in the more attractive birds

like gold finches. In a garden further along, a row of hollyhocks creates a

wall of colour around the car. Pretty plant pots filled with flowers add to the

cottage garden effect.

Everyone does it differently, but the combined effect is lovely. Good for

birds, good for insects (and, consequently, hedgehogs) and good for us.

How much better than blank, sterile sheets of tarmac, brick or concrete. So

why not go out this weekend, dig up a corner of your front garden and fill it

with colour. Your neighbours will love you for it.

(And we will come by, clip boards in hand, looking for the prettiest, most

wildlife friendly, parking spot in the local area. There may even be prizes!

Details to be announced later.) Linda Losito

Women’s cycling group in Oxford

One of the best things I did when we moved to Oxford many years ago

was to turn up in Radcliffe

Square for an Isis

Cyclist’s ride. I was

hooked from the start –

through it I have

discovered wonderful new

routes, made friends,

appreciated the many

hidden gems that Oxford

and its environs have to

offer, kept fit(ish) and

enjoyed many cups of

coffee and, frequently,

cake!

Isis cyclists was primarily started to help women get fit through cycling.

It has since developed into an organisation that offers short (6–10

miles), medium (10–20 miles), and long (20–30 miles) rides each month

at the weekends; and when the weather gets warmer and the days

longer we include evening pub rides, midweek Stop and Stare rides,

extra long rides (50 miles), extra pop-up rides and a weekend away. Our

evening pub rides and Sunday social rides are open to male partners

and friends. The rides usually start at 10.00 am, take all morning and we

arrive back in time for lunch after a refreshment stop during the ride.

Each ride has a leader who will have planned the route and coffee stop,

and someone who brings up the rear. The short rides tend to be set at a

slower pace than the long rides, but we are always aware of how people

are doing, and will adjust our pace to accommodate everyone.

Cycling is a brilliant way of getting about, particularly in Oxford. We

choose our routes carefully, avoiding fast busy roads and making use of

the many cycle paths and country lanes. Cycling is sociable, healthy

and free! It keeps you in touch with your surroundings. If you’d like to

join us, take a look at our website isiscyclists.org.uk where you will find

details of upcoming rides. You don’t need to join, or pay, or book in –

just turn up at the starting point of your chosen ride with a roadworthy

bike and you will be warmly welcomed in.

Karen Wolff

Calling new Brownies

We at 2nd Botley have a full and constant complement of lovely go-

ahead Leaders and a Brownie Holiday licence (which we’re not afraid to

use!) but we could accommodate more girls (aged 7 to 10 years) right

now. If you know of any, please do get in touch at 2ndbotleybrownies@

outlook.com. Indeed, continuing to look to the future of the Unit and

Girlguiding as a whole we are very pleased to report that “Fox” (a

student by the name of Amber) has just completed her Young Leader

Qualification, which she has been diligently working towards over the

past two years. All our Leaders basically started in the same way...

We enjoyed being Brownies, we then moved on to Guides and, if lucky

enough in the area we were in, then on to Rangers. We started out by

helping at a local Unit, be it Rainbows, Brownies or Guides. Over time

we were encouraged to take our Leadership Qualification to allow us to

be in charge of young girls. We attended formal First Aid trainings and

Girlguiding trainings where we learnt about child welfare and safe-from-

harm procedures as well as lots of fun activities and camp fires. We

learnt to plan our time (which is freely given), organise events, handle a

budget, etc. As Young Leaders or

young Adult Leaders we all learnt

from and by watching 2nd Botley’s

Leaders a little older than us with a

few years of experience. Girlguiding

UK is over 110 years old and this is

how we continue to grow and to

evolve into the worldwide

movement we are today. “Today’s

Leaders were yesterday’s Brownies

& Guides, ergo today’s Brownies &

Guides will be tomorrow’s Leaders!”

All Girlguiding Leaders, regardless

of their age, are just ordinary

people voluntarily “doing their best”

(Baden Powell would approve) to

give a little bit back to the

community in which they live.

By the Owls at 2nd Botley

Brownies

Bemused by the bin? Help is at hand.

Thanks to us residents, Oxfordshire is the top performing county in the

country, recycling 58% of household waste. Now the county council

have come up with a new wheeze to help us do even better.

The Waste Wizard is the county council’s response to the evil spell that

no-longer-needed items sometimes cast over residents when it’s time to

recycle or reuse them. The online tool allows anyone bewitched by the

bin to type in the name of any item at oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastewizard

along with their postcode to find out whether it can be repaired, reused,

donated, recycled, if it needs to go into a specific bin or if it can be

disposed of at a Household Waste Recycling Centre.

There’s lots of different ways to get rid of waste but you only need one

Waste Wizard to help make sure you do the right thing.

 Boost the number of items that get repaired locally

 Increase the number of items reused or donated

 Cut the amount of contamination in kerbside collection bins

 Ensure anything that can’t be reused, repaired or donated is

properly recycled or disposed of

Jingle All The Westminster Way

It’s not Christmas yet! In

October this year, our

local radio station BBC

Radio Oxford will be

celebrating its 50th

birthday. Gordon Kitchen,

from Stanley Close, was

there from the first day,

reading the news. Back in

the early 1980s you might

have once or twice seen

an old black taxi cab

driving around Botley to

visit me. The driver was

Timmy Mallett, who

before he become

nationally and internationally famous on television and with his No.1 hit

record, presented an “utterly brilliant” radio show for Oxfordshire that

was especially loved by the

younger generation. My sister

Diane and I, as young teenagers,

would sometimes be at Radio

Oxford’s studios, then at 242–254

Banbury Road, recording jingles

for the show. It was fun, and great

for my confidence, to re-write

words to pop songs. Timmy

Mallett, being at the controls,

would press the ‘record’ button, we

would sing away and then later it

would be played on his show

called Timmy on the Tranny or

TOTT for short. On his final show

we sang our version of the Can

Can live with help from Greg

Hainge who then lived on Harcourt

Hill. The most famous (if you can

call it that) jingle that Diane and I

recorded (later also played on Radio Luxembourg, Piccadilly Radio and

even on a freeview TV channel!) was a ditty written by Timmy to Tony

Basil’s 1982 hit Mickey re-worked as Oh Timmy You’re So Fine. At one

time the show had a parody competition, judged by Duke D’Mond from

the comedic pop group The Barron Knights. Diane and I came 2nd with

Abba’s The Winner Takes It All re-worked as The Taxman Takes It All.

Joyce East, a wonderful lady and a great Barry Manilow fan who lived In

Westminster Way, performed a hilarious version of Sheena Easton’s 9

to 5 with her great gravelly voice. One evening Dad took us down to a

recording studio in someone’s back garden in Yate, South

Gloucestershire, and we recorded a song with Timmy called I’m Timmy

the Prince. The record wasn’t released, but almost 10 years later in

1990, Timmy had a No.1 hit with Andrew Lloyd Webber with their

version of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.

Just a few weeks ago, Mum and I met Timmy again at a book signing

(shown in the photo). It is a well written, intelligent, uplifting and inspiring

book about his cycling pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain,

following the recent death of his brother Martin who had Down’s

syndrome and dementia. Timmy Mallett is still “utterly brilliant”.

Martin Harris

LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS

P20/V0317/FUL

Re application

P16/V1976/FUL

12 Cumnor Hill. Variation of

Conditions 2 (Approved Plans), 8

(Boundary Treatments), 14 (Parking

Provision), 15 (Refuse and

Recycling).

3 February

Target

Decision

Date: 4 May

P20/V0301/FUL

5 Toynbee Close. Build 2 two-

bedroom flats to rear with parking,

bin & bike stores. Replace carport

and outbuilding with parking, bin &

bike stores for existing house as

per P16/V3039/FUL.

5 February

TDD: 1 April

P20/V0359/LDP 15 Cumnor Hill. Certificate of

Lawfulness for extension of hard

standing area at front to provide a

parking and turning area.

6 February

TDD: 2 April

P20/V0372/HH 30A Hutchcomb Rd. Demolish

existing garage and build single

storey rear extension.

10 February

TDD: 6 April

Randoms

Annual Parish Meeting – 19th March

The Parish Council’s Annual Parish Meeting will be held at the new

Seacourt Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday 19th March (tea and coffee from

7pm). Come along to hear the latest news on the Botley Centre

redevelopment, the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway, and other local

issues. If there is anything you would like to raise for discussion, please

send your questions in writing to Colin Ryde, the Parish Clerk

(clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk) by Monday 16th March. Further details

can be found on the Parish Council website at www.northhinksey-

pc.gov.uk and in the NHPC Annual Newsletter.

Redbridge closed

Redbridge recycling centre will be closed for a deep clean on Tuesday

10th & Wednesday 11th March.

West Way Square Community Update Exhibition: 5 March

Is there any truth in the rumour that the developers are seeking to add

another storey to the building on the site of Grant Thornton? Come to

the public exhibition to update residents of ongoing progress and next

steps of development at West Way Square on 5th March from 4pm to

7.30 in the Seacourt Hall and find out. This will be a small interactive

exhibition, with members of the project team on hand to answer

questions, and feedback forms available for comments. If you have any

questions you can contact Hugh Currie of SP Broadway at

hugh@spbroadway.com, or visit www.westwayconsultation.co.uk for

further details

Botley Seniors Lunch Club

(formerly Botley & North Hinksey

over 60s Lunch Club)

We’re still the same Lunch Club, but

with a new name as very few of us

now retire at 60. We’re enjoying the

spacious and airy new Seacourt Hall

with its modern kitchen and meet, as

before, on alternate Thursdays (see

back cover for dates).

Run entirely by volunteers, Lunch Club serves a two-course meal at

12.30 prompt, and diners can arrive from about noon onwards to meet

and chat with friends. Our ingredients are bought locally with our meat

from Hedges on Elms Parade. We charge £5 per head and any profit

goes towards meals to celebrate special occasions such as Christmas.

There is no need to book. If you would like to join our cheery team of

volunteers we would love to hear from you. Either pop in to the

Seacourt Hall around 10.30 am on the days we do lunch, contact me on

smithsat23@tiscali.co.uk (01865 241539), or phone Jackie Warner

(01865 721386).

Viv Smith

The Vale tackles Climate Change

On the advice of their Climate Emergency Advisory Committee, the Vale

of White Horse District Council have set targets to reduce their own

carbon emissions by 75% by 2025, and those in the district by 75% by

2030. There’s more information on the advisory committee and the work

being done to achieve these targets on www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk.

Good to see that South Oxford DC have put sustainability at the heart of

the design for the new headquarters at Crowmarsh Gifford that they will

share with the Vale. Let us hope our own parish council will take note

and apply the same principles to the new pavilion at the top of the hill.

Keep Safe! Avoiding Conmen and Other Risks

Scams, identity theft, conmen on the doorstep and the telephone and

the web all feature in this U3A talk by Shelley Edwards on 23rd March

(details on back cover). The list of risks that modern technologies

expose us to can seem to be ever-expanding. But there are many ways

that we can protect ourselves, often simply through greater awareness

and taking straightforward precautions. Shelley Edwards, Community

Liaison Officer with Oxfordshire County Council, will help us understand

the kinds of risks we may be open to, and advise us how to keep both

ourselves and our neighbours safe.

And another thing…

Another opportunity to get involved in your local community: Seacourt

Hall is looking for a new Treasurer. If you are interested please email

seacourt.hall@gmail.com.

Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details

to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.

1st Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Fiona Wheeler,

firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com

2nd Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison

Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com

4th Oxford Scout Group

Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts

Scout Hall, Arnolds Way; mail@thefourth.org.uk

Website: http://www.thefourth.org.uk/

15th Oxford Scout Group

Boys and girls welcome

Fridays, cubs 6.30-8, scouts 8-9.30, Botley Baptist Hall.

Amy Cusden 07887 654386 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk

Baby & Toddler Group Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall

Badminton Club

Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry Clark

0777 3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com

BikeSafe. B4044 community

path campaign

Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8

weeks. Contact via website B4044path.org

Books on Wheels R.V.S. Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142

Botley Boys & Girls F.C.

Football teams from ages 8-16

Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan

Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com

Botley Health Walks

Wednesday 9.30am. Contact Briony on Ox 246497

Botley Library

01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,

otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).

Botley Seniors Lunch Club

Every other Thursday. Seacourt Hall. Viv Smith 01865

241539 or Jackie Warner 01865 721386

Botley Singers

Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela Astley-

Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com

Community Fridge

Mon–Sat 9–5, Sun 11–5. Riki Therivel 07759 135811

Cumnor Choral Society

Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795

054142 or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com

Cumnor Chess Club

Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett 862788

www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk

Cumnor & District Historical

Society

Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old School.

01865 724808

Cumnor Gardening Club http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865 721026

Harmony InSpires, Ladies'

Acappella Singing Group

Wed 7.30 at Appleton village hall. C. Casson 01235 831352

or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk

Hill End Volunteer Team

Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org, call

863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk

Let’s Sing! – singing group Weds 2pm, WOCC, details Emily 07969 522368

or email emformusic@outlook.com

Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc

Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk

North Hinksey Preschool and

Childcare Clubs

Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email

nhps.manager1@gmail.com

N Hinksey Art Group Weds 10 – 12.00 W.I. Hall Tel: Christina 07931 707997

N Hinksey Bellringers Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451

N Hinksey Conservation

Volunteers

Meets at weekends. Contact Voirrey Carr 07798743121

voirreyc@aol.com

N Hinksey, Friends of Annual Cricket Match & Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.

N Hinksey Parish Council Colin Ryde, tel 861992, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk

N Hinksey Youth Club

Wednesdays at Arnold's Way pavilion, call Daz on 07791

212866 or see Facebook

Oxford Flood Alliance R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035

Oxfd Flower Arranging Club 4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: 01865 865259

Oxford Harmony Men's

Acappella singing group

Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall, Contact

pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk

Oxford Otters

Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays, twice

monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420

Oxford Rugby Club

Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com

Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.

Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis

Club, N Hinksey

Family club: Melanie Riste 848658

melanie_riste@hotmail.com

Raleigh Park, Friends of raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk

Saturdads at

Botley Bridges

Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s

10 am–noon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955

Seacourt Hall management

committee

Michael Cockman 07766 317691

michael.cockman@gmail.com.

Shotokan Karate club 6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450

Walking for Health

2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.45 Botley Library.

Alan 07941 610913

Weight Watchers

Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall Banso

tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com

West Oxford Bowls Club Contact details on www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk

West Oxford Taekwon Do

Club

Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall 01865

570291 www.wotkd.co.uk

West Oxford U3A (Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/

West Way Day Centre

Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.

oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

Women’s Institute (Botley) Liz Manson, 244175 or l iz.manson@virginmedia.com

Yoga (gentle) at WOCC

Fri 10.15 - 11.30 (more energetic on Mon 6.30 – 7.45)

yogawithjacqueline@hotmail.com